Libraries have long functioned as institutions which exerted wide-ranging cultural-social activity as determined by the economic and cultural needs of society. Librarianship as an educational factor has become increasingly important during the past half century with respect to its quantitative growth and its quality world-wide. Although the school system will always occupy the primary role in erudition and education, knowledge and cognition must also be acquired through the individual efforts of the pupil or student. Libraries are the greatest and most approachable source for acquiring, creating and conserving information but many public libraries have been lax in developing services adequate for the requirements of society. The furthering of the effectiveness and the educational and eruditional endeavors of libraries and augmentation of their social importance require the creation of a specific pedalogical discipline. In Slovakia, the term "biblio-paedogogics" covers that discipline whose sphere covers scientific research and theoretical interest beyond that of work with the reader in the library, handling books and the like. Its development is one of the principal conditions for development of the public library as an educational factor. (AB)